Spain’s Iconic El Transcantábrico

Step aboard the El Transcantábrico and you will find yourself on
an unforgettable journey, travelling along the picturesque Atlantic
coastline of Northern Spain. The vintage 5-star hotel on wheels has
been transporting customers from Santander to Santiago de
Compostela, through Basque Country to Galicia, in regal elegance
for the best part of 40 years. The saloon cars are original 1920's
Pullman carriages and the interior matches the antiquated quality
of their coaches. Each room is bedecked in true vintage splendor
and the train boasts a lounge car, a tea room, a bar, a fantastic
authentic Spanish restaurant which offers gastronomic delights from
the varying Spanish regions on route, and a breath-taking panoramic
carriage that delivers wonderfully scenic views. The train's route
is packed full with fantastic excursions and each evening is
brimming with live performances and events.

El Transcantábrico cuts an exciting path across northern Spain,
taking in some of the country's finest countryside and most diverse
cities. From Basque Country and the Galician Coast, to bustling
Léon and historic Santiago de Compostela; the final stop on the Way
of St. James pilgrimage and our tours final destination. The first
stop on board this iconic train is the traditional town of
Santillana del Mar, a beautifully preserved medieval town dominated
by an impressive Romanesque monastery. From here the train rolls on
past coastal villages and fishing ports and into the Picos de
Europa National Park. Set in the mist-shrouded peaks of the
Cantabrian Mountains, Picos is one of Europe's premier parks and
has a stunning array of wildlife including Brown Bears, Wolves and
Lynx. The Park landscape is best experienced through the grandeur
of El Transcantábrico's panoramic carriage. The train then passes
the glacial lakes of Covadonga before arriving in Oviedo,
Romanesque capital of the Asturias region. This historic city is
home to the 9th century Holy Chamber, a pre-Romanesque church that
boasts UNESCO Heritage status.

From Oviedo, we carry on in the lap of luxury, past the
enchanting Old Town of Avilés and into the city of Gijón, on the
beautiful Bay of Biscay. From charming Gijón, the train rolls into
pretty Luarca. Known as 'the white town on the green coast', the
town's harbour is surrounded by row upon row of quaint white-washed
houses. El Transcantábrico then skirts the cliffs of the Galician
coastline, stopping off at Las Catedrales, heralded as one of
Europe's most stunning beaches. We then head westwards, through
idyllic countryside until we arrive at our own stop-off point near
Santiago de Compostela.

The historic city is the final destination on the popular Way of
St. James pilgrimage. The 'Camino de Santiago' tradition stretches
as far back as the 9th century, with the city Cathedral said to be
the final resting place of the apostle James, son of Zebedee. It
was James who supposedly brought Christianity to the Iberian
Peninsula and was the first of Jesus' apostles to be martyred
following his execution. Today, thousands of people walk here from
all over the world to wander the narrow alleys of Old Town and step
foot inside the fabled Cathedral. Having left the glamour of El
Transcantábrico behind, the tour continues to the capital of Madrid
by local service, with two further days spent in the Spanish
capital.

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